NETS-2 Collaboration and Communication Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students: a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
NETS-5 Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
Students:
a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
Standards for Middle School Classrooms - Common Core
Production and Distribution of Writing 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas 4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations. 6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Conventions of Standard English 1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. 2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
SS7G12 The student will analyze the diverse cultures of the people who live in Southern and Eastern Asia. SS7G8 The student will describe the diverse cultures of the people who live in Southwest Asia (Middle East)SS7G4 The student will describe the diverse cultures of the people who live in Africa.
College and Career Readiness Overview for Common Core: Students actively seek to understand other perspectives and cultures through reading and listening, and they are able to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds. They evaluate other points of view critically and constructively. Through reading great classic and contemporary works of literature representative of a variety of periods, cultures, and worldviews, students can vicariously inhabit worlds and have experiences much different than their own.
Standards for 3rd Grade Common Core Missouri W.3.2 Text Typles and Purposes - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W.3.7 Research to Build and Present Knowledge - Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
W.3.8 Research to Build and Present Knowledge - Recall information from experiences or gather information form pirnt and digital sources; take breif notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
Essential Question(s): How is this an authentic question for your learners?
Why do people celebrate?
What special traditions and rituals surround holidays and festivals?
What holidays and festivals are important parts of your culture?
What holidays and festivals are important in other cultures?
What do celebrations around the world have in common?
What is a symbol? How are symbols used in celebrations and holidays?
These questions are authentic because there are multiple answers that can be answered by different people in different ways, depending on the history and culture of the person responding. The questions allow students to share what they think instead of what the instructor thinks. Students act as partners who are on equal footing as they share in the learning and answer the questions using real life experience and knowledge.
Objectives
1. Students will compose well-written emails to their ePals. 2. Students will practice the conventions of standard English when writing their emails. For some writers, this will be authentic practice in their second (target) language. 3. Students will practice the important 21st century skills of collaboration, communication and critical thinking. 4. Students will work collaboratively to create a final digital presentation that represents their learning from the project. 5. Students will build a relationship via email with a student in another region of the world.
Three Classrooms' Collaboration Activity: How will your three classes collaborate in answering the essential question? (one-paragraph description) The three collaborative classes will exchange emails with assigned ePals asking about their favorite holiday and what activities, foods, and traditions that are shared on that holiday. The ePals will discuss holidays they read about from other parts of the world and identify elements of that holiday that are similar to or different from the one the ePals celebrate. ePal partners will have a discussion about symbols that surround their holiday and what relation the symbol has to the celebration. ePals will share avenues they plan to pursue as they research another holiday in another country. Students should either scan a picture of their symbol and send it to their ePal or find a picture online and save the image to send as an attachment to their ePal, explaining why this symbol best represents the celebration. Students can reflect via email to their ePal as they share responses to prompts that explain the most fascinating or surprising thing they learned while studying holidays and festivals?
Each Classroom’s Collaboration: How will students within each class collaborate on different parts of the project? (one-paragraph description)
Students from each classroom will use a scaffolding strategy for the collaboration ePals project as they work collaboratively on several activities and assignments to complete the project. Students, after being paired with an ePal from another classroom, will explore celebrations, traditions, and symbols related to a holiday or festival from their home countries and then investigate those from other parts of the world. They will have an opportunity to share their information and collaboratively create symbolic representations of their researched holiday from across the globe. They will share within their group books and research, and personal experiences. ePals will evaluate and comment on each others' ideas and make connections to the content as they collaborate and exchange ideas. Since they are online, they will have the option of asynchronous response time, allowing for flexibility in communication for distance partners.
Equipment-Handouts Desktop Computers, Laptops, Smart Phones, Ipads, or other Technology Devices with Internet Access Scanner Books for extra research and ideas National Geographic Magazines or Website Graphic Organizer Web Mind Mapping Glogs Timeline Maker
1. Activate Prior Knowledge about Holiday Celebrations - Books, magazines, and websites discussing celebrations around the world will be available for students to view and discuss. After students have viewed the materials conduct a class discussion about holidays, festivals and celebrations to activate prior knowledge. Ask questions such as: What are the most popular holidays that are celebrated in our country?, What is your favorite holiday and explain why?, What kinds of activities do people do on your favorite holiday?, What are some common characteristics of holiday celebrations in our country? Guide students to the understanding that all holiday celebrations have common characteristics such as: special foods and feasts, traditions, activities, special clothing and more.
2. Groups discussions in the classroom about holidays and celebrations around the world. - Choose one or more of the books related to a holiday celebrated in our country and in various other countries. Students can read the selections in their small groups and discuss together. Students should be looking for characteristics of holiday celebrations such as: foods and feasts, traditions, activities, and special clothing that may be worn. After reading about a holiday from another part of the world, ask students to identify what characteristics of the holiday are similar to a holiday celebrated in their home country or culture. Guide students again to look at important characteristics of a holiday celebration: foods, traditions, clothing, etc. After comparing similarities between holiday celebrations, ask students to identify any differences they might find between holidays at home and holidays abroad.
3. Groups will write to their ePal about a holiday that the students have read about from another part of the world. Students will discuss with their ePal the characteristics that were identified about the holiday. Groups will share what holidays are celebrated in their country that may have similar or different characteristics.
4. Groups will determine symbols in holidays - Students will collaborate about the favorite holiday and share with their ePal what they have chosen to represent the selected holiday, explaining why they have chosen that specific symbol and how it might best represent the holiday. The ePal will comment and respond with the same information. ePals will send scanned drawings or uploaded images that depict the selected symbol. This part of the project will be formatively assessed as students will present it in either an oral report or in a museum-style display so each individual classroom may see what the ePals have completed for their symbol.
5 - Researching holidays - Within the individual classrooms, students will work in pairs to choose the holiday that they will research and will begin the research process. Teachers can introduce books and magazines and share the resource suggested sites at this time. One book that is recommended for each class is called Celebrate! Connections Among Cultures by Jan Reynolds. Students will be encouraged to conduct research on the holiday of their choice, paying close attention to the following themes and how they relate to their selected holiday:
a. When we celebrate we eat and drink (food or drink);
b. When we celebrate we decorate ourselves (special clothing);
c. When we celebrate we play music (special music)
d. When we celebrate we dance (dance, pageants, events or parades)
e. When we celebrate we use fire (light and decorations)
• As a whole class activity, brainstorm a list of possible sources for the holiday and festival research. Ask students to think about what kind of information they are going to need and where they can find it. The list might include: books, websites, magazines, videos, expert interviews, maps, etc. Accept all answers as this is a brainstorming session. Circle the best choices. Introduce ePals student forums as a source for first hand information from students who celebrate various festivals and holidays. Students with ePals access can post specific questions on the forums and, as ePals is a global community, students from around the world can answer their questions.
ePals Student Talk Forums can be found here: ePals Forum Students will need to be logged in to post questions. Share with your ePal what holiday or festival you have chosen to research and what avenues you plan to pursue to find your information. If your ePal lives in a country that celebrates this holiday or festival ask him/her for information about how it is celebrated.
6 - Holiday Timeline - As an individual assignment, students will create a timeline outlining their selected holiday. The timeline will begin with the starting date in which the holiday was created and end with its current practices today. The timeline must include at least 10 specific dates and events, which effected or referenced the holiday. The timeline will be judged and should focus on five area: dates, content learned, facts, readability, and resources. Students will present their findings orally.
7- Oral Presentation- Within individual classrooms, all students will present orally on their selected holiday. Each student has to prepare a 5 minute presentation on their holiday, which includes but is not limited to who, what, when, and where about the holiday. Students should includes dates and times, why they chose the holiday, and what makes the holiday special to them. Students should include at least five interesting facts about their holiday. Students must cover the areas of staying on topic, preparedness, comprehension, and paying close attention while their peers are presenting because are the areas in which they will be graded on. Students may use the following sentence starters as a guideline for their oral presentation:
a. When we celebrate we eat and drink (food or drink);
b. When we celebrate we decorate ourselves (special clothing);
c. When we celebrate we play music (special music)
d. When we celebrate we dance (dance, pageants, events or parades)
e. When we celebrate we use fire (light and decorations)
Peer Test- Each student will responsible for creating a 10 question assessment/survey to give to their peers once they have given their presentation. This assessment can multiple choice, fill in the blank, true or false, question and answer, or a combination. Students must include only the information that they shared in their presentation. This will insure accountability on both the parts of the student presenting as well as the students listening to the presentation.
Formative Assessment Strategies: ePal collaboration and comments will be used to provide students opportunities to revise and edit written responses and prepare for oral or written reports to share with the class. Once the ePals have finalized sections to share within the three collaborative classrooms. Much of the formative assessment will be done within the collaborative classrooms as discussions and comments regarding information learned from research with the ePal. Teacher observation and conversation with the student will be another strategy for formative assessment. Students will also be asked to complete a peer review during presentations.
Summative Assessment Strategies: Summative assessment strategies will include rubrics for assignments. As a culminating activity they will effectively represent their research in graphic organizers as well as create a symbol that they feel best represents their holiday. For the culminating activity students will share their learning with a choice of two of the three following items: 1. a web or mind map that effectively shows the information that they have gathered about their chosen holiday or festival. 2. a symbol that represents their holiday or festival.The web should state the holiday or festival in the center, have linking lines to the sub concepts, and include pictures or graphics to enhance the text. (For alternate activity, students can create a poster or Glog to represent the information gathered in research with ePals) Share with ePal symbol selected for holiday or festival. Scan a copy of the picture and send it as an attachment if possible. Explain why you feel this symbol best represents this celebration. • Have students pairs share within the class their research and symbols so that the three collaborative classes have an opportunity to learn about other holidays and festivals around the world, either in oral reports or in a museum-style display. Teachers can use the Culminating Activity Rubric to evaluate student work. • Teachers can use the Email Rubric to evaluate emails.Students can reflect in an email to their ePal or as a journal entry: Every culture in the world celebrates. How are the traditions and practices that surround your favorite holiday different from the holiday that you researched? How are they similar? What was the most fascinating or surprising thing that you learned while studying holidays and festivals?
3.Holiday Timeline. The timeline should state the holiday or festival at the top, each date and event should be labeled accordingly. The timeline should include at least 10 events and dates.
There is a rubric for student presentation as they orally share their discoveries with their own classes, responding to the original essential questions and those that students might have.
The last summative assessment strategy is the Peer Test. All students are required to create a Peer Test to give to their classmates after their oral presentation. This allows the presenter to check for understanding with their audience. It also holds the audience accountable, because they have to pay attention to the presentation in order to answer the questions. Reflection Reflection on the project can be done in a number of ways: As a student Learning Log entry As a digital survey As a final reflective email to students’ ePal when the digital presentations are exchanged. Below are some questions that you may want students to consider when doing the final reflection on the project: 1. What was the most important thing you learned in this project/email exchange? 2. What do you wish you had spent more time on? Where do you think you did your best work? 3. What was the most enjoyable part of this project? What was the least enjoyable part? 4. What would you like to do differently next time?
NETS-2 Collaboration and Communication
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
Students:
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
NETS-5 Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
Students:
a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
Standards for Middle School Classrooms - Common Core
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Conventions of Standard English
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
SS7G12 The student will analyze the diverse cultures of the people who live in Southern and Eastern Asia.
SS7G8 The student will describe the diverse cultures of the people who live in Southwest Asia (Middle East)SS7G4 The student will describe the diverse cultures of the people who live in Africa.
College and Career Readiness Overview for Common Core: Students actively seek to understand other perspectives and cultures through reading and listening, and they are able to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds. They evaluate other points of view critically and constructively. Through reading great classic and contemporary works of literature representative of a variety of periods, cultures, and worldviews, students can vicariously inhabit worlds and have experiences much different than their own.
Standards for 3rd Grade Common Core Missouri
W.3.2 Text Typles and Purposes - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W.3.7 Research to Build and Present Knowledge - Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
W.3.8 Research to Build and Present Knowledge - Recall information from experiences or gather information form pirnt and digital sources; take breif notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
Essential Question(s): How is this an authentic question for your learners?
These questions are authentic because there are multiple answers that can be answered by different people in different ways, depending on the history and culture of the person responding. The questions allow students to share what they think instead of what the instructor thinks. Students act as partners who are on equal footing as they share in the learning and answer the questions using real life experience and knowledge.
Objectives
1. Students will compose well-written emails to their ePals.
2. Students will practice the conventions of standard English when writing their emails. For some writers, this will be authentic practice in their second (target) language.
3. Students will practice the important 21st century skills of collaboration, communication and critical thinking.
4. Students will work collaboratively to create a final digital presentation that represents their learning from the project.
5. Students will build a relationship via email with a student in another region of the world.
Three Classrooms' Collaboration Activity: How will your three classes collaborate in answering the essential question? (one-paragraph description)
The three collaborative classes will exchange emails with assigned ePals asking about their favorite holiday and what activities, foods, and traditions that are shared on that holiday. The ePals will discuss holidays they read about from other parts of the world and identify elements of that holiday that are similar to or different from the one the ePals celebrate. ePal partners will have a discussion about symbols that surround their holiday and what relation the symbol has to the celebration. ePals will share avenues they plan to pursue as they research another holiday in another country. Students should either scan a picture of their symbol and send it to their ePal or find a picture online and save the image to send as an attachment to their ePal, explaining why this symbol best represents the celebration. Students can reflect via email to their ePal as they share responses to prompts that explain the most fascinating or surprising thing they learned while studying holidays and festivals?
Each Classroom’s Collaboration: How will students within each class collaborate on different parts of the project? (one-paragraph description)
Students from each classroom will use a scaffolding strategy for the collaboration ePals project as they work collaboratively on several activities and assignments to complete the project. Students, after being paired with an ePal from another classroom, will explore celebrations, traditions, and symbols related to a holiday or festival from their home countries and then investigate those from other parts of the world. They will have an opportunity to share their information and collaboratively create symbolic representations of their researched holiday from across the globe. They will share within their group books and research, and personal experiences. ePals will evaluate and comment on each others' ideas and make connections to the content as they collaborate and exchange ideas. Since they are online, they will have the option of asynchronous response time, allowing for flexibility in communication for distance partners.
Equipment-Handouts
Desktop Computers, Laptops, Smart Phones, Ipads, or other Technology Devices with Internet Access
Scanner
Books for extra research and ideas
National Geographic Magazines or Website
Graphic Organizer Web
Mind Mapping
Glogs
Timeline Maker
Step-by-Step Instructional Strategies:
a. When we celebrate we eat and drink (food or drink);
b. When we celebrate we decorate ourselves (special clothing);
c. When we celebrate we play music (special music)
d. When we celebrate we dance (dance, pageants, events or parades)
e. When we celebrate we use fire (light and decorations)
• As a whole class activity, brainstorm a list of possible sources for the holiday and festival research. Ask students to think about what kind of information they are going to need and where they can find it. The list might include: books, websites, magazines, videos, expert interviews, maps, etc. Accept all answers as this is a brainstorming session. Circle the best choices. Introduce ePals student forums as a source for first hand information from students who celebrate various festivals and holidays. Students with ePals access can post specific questions on the forums and, as ePals is a global community, students from around the world can answer their questions.
b. When we celebrate we decorate ourselves (special clothing);
c. When we celebrate we play music (special music)
d. When we celebrate we dance (dance, pageants, events or parades)
e. When we celebrate we use fire (light and decorations)
Formative Assessment Strategies:
ePal collaboration and comments will be used to provide students opportunities to revise and edit written responses and prepare for oral or written reports to share with the class. Once the ePals have finalized sections to share within the three collaborative classrooms. Much of the formative assessment will be done within the collaborative classrooms as discussions and comments regarding information learned from research with the ePal. Teacher observation and conversation with the student will be another strategy for formative assessment. Students will also be asked to complete a peer review during presentations.
Summative Assessment Strategies:
Summative assessment strategies will include rubrics for assignments. As a culminating activity they will effectively represent their research in graphic organizers as well as create a symbol that they feel best represents their holiday. For the culminating activity students will share their learning with a choice of two of the three following items:
1. a web or mind map that effectively shows the information that they have gathered about their chosen holiday or festival.
2. a symbol that represents their holiday or festival.The web should state the holiday or festival in the center, have linking lines to the sub concepts, and include pictures or graphics to enhance the text. (For alternate activity, students can create a poster or Glog to represent the information gathered in research with ePals) Share with ePal symbol selected for holiday or festival. Scan a copy of the picture and send it as an attachment if possible. Explain why you feel this symbol best represents this celebration. • Have students pairs share within the class their research and symbols so that the three collaborative classes have an opportunity to learn about other holidays and festivals around the world, either in oral reports or in a museum-style display. Teachers can use the Culminating Activity Rubric to evaluate student work. • Teachers can use the Email Rubric to evaluate emails.Students can reflect in an email to their ePal or as a journal entry: Every culture in the world celebrates. How are the traditions and practices that surround your favorite holiday different from the holiday that you researched? How are they similar? What was the most fascinating or surprising thing that you learned while studying holidays and festivals?
3. Holiday Timeline. The timeline should state the holiday or festival at the top, each date and event should be labeled accordingly. The timeline should include at least 10 events and dates.
There is a rubric for student presentation as they orally share their discoveries with their own classes, responding to the original essential questions and those that students might have.The last summative assessment strategy is the Peer Test. All students are required to create a Peer Test to give to their classmates after their oral presentation. This allows the presenter to check for understanding with their audience. It also holds the audience accountable, because they have to pay attention to the presentation in order to answer the questions.
Reflection
Reflection on the project can be done in a number of ways:
As a student Learning Log entry
As a digital survey
As a final reflective email to students’ ePal when the digital presentations are exchanged.
Below are some questions that you may want students to consider when doing the final reflection on the project:
1. What was the most important thing you learned in this project/email exchange?
2. What do you wish you had spent more time on? Where do you think you did your best work?
3. What was the most enjoyable part of this project? What was the least enjoyable part?
4. What would you like to do differently next time?